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SME4SPACE COVID-19 Information section

In order to help European Space SMEs in this very complex and hard situation, SME4SPACE decided to open the present section.

In this section, all the support measures and initiatives in favour of European Space SMEs from ESA, EC and Member States are listed and/or described, with also a brief report of the survey conducted by SME4SPACE on urgent actions/needs and concerns of European Space SMEs.

Moreover, you can find below direct links to the relative COVID-19 sections of SME4SPACE Working Members.

SME4SPACE first results and propositions from COVID-19 survey proposed to ESA, European Commission and relative Member States

Hereafter, SME4SPACE presents a summary of the results of a rapid survey on urgent actions/needs and concerns of the European Space SMEs.
The survey was conducted from 20 to 24 March 2020.
The survey was distributed to all SME4SPACE Members and to our broader mailing list and also posted on SME4SPACE website as well as on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The survey was distributed to all SME4SPACE Members and to our broader mailing list and also posted on SME4SPACE website as well as on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The survey received 113 replies from 18 European (both ESA and EC Member States) Countries with also Canada.

Among the major problems that European Space SMEs are facing, we find:

  1. Cash flow constrain
  2. Workforce availability
  3. Supply problem

Among the proposed urgent actions, we highlight:

  • Advance payment increasing (even at milestone level and after the project start)
  • Flexibility
    • stick on the schedule vs postponement of deadlines/milestones (without any eventual penalty)
    • To extend projects duration in order to complete the activity
    • Enable CCNs in ESA projects related to additional costs caused by the current situation
    • Anticipate payments, review Milestone Payments Plans, fractionating milestones
    • Neutralization of contractual penalties
  • Financial support:
    • Space Dedicated Venture Capital
    • Short term loans and R&D grants;
    • give SME access to credits
    • Enable full tax deduction for capital increase by current shareholder(s)
    • Intervention of Government and European Institution in support to SME in term of Funds.
    • Funding support to maintain economic viability
    • Financial support to help start-ups/SME’s cover staff costs following contract cancellation and delayed investments.
    • EC to keep level of budget allowed to Space for next years. Decisions have been taken based on this. A reduction of the budget allowed would be a disaster for our business.
    • ESA and EC can easily release payments on already implemented grants / contracts / project milestones early

Download the full presentation with the results of our survey

SME4SPACE link to COVID-19 survey

ESA and European Commission measures

We have just sent to ESA and European Commission the results of our survey and we expect that these will be taken in consideration.

For the time beeing, the following measures have been already adopted:

SME4SPACE Working Members’ COVID-19 sections

Aerospace-Valley COVID-19 Section (in French)

AIPAS COVID-19 Section (in Italian)

COVID-19 Madrid Aerospace Cluster Section (in Spanish)

UKSpace Coronavirus COVID-19 Links and News Updates (in English)

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FHWN – A3 signing of the Cooperation Agreement

Adriatic Aerospace Association delegation, composed of President Slobodan Danko Bosanac, Filip Kisic, Matija Makoter, Luka Korova, Mario Mustra, Darko Luksa and Vlado Sruk visited the Aerospace Engineering Department, Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt, Austria where their director Carsten Scharlemann, Carlo Girardello, Kaarel Repaen and Wolfgang Treberspurg received us. The visit is a continuation of the collaboration on satellite technology, first of all getting to know the group’s experiences at WN on CubeSat Pegasus, which is in orbit, and on their new CLIMB project. For our part, we introduced them to the CubeSat Perun I project. After a very fruitful discussion, we visited a laboratory where satellites are assembled and tested. The meeting ended with the signing of a collaboration agreement between A3 and the Aerospace Engineering Department.

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Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of UN COPUOS

At the meeting of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of UN COPUOS, Croatia has its representatives as observers.

The regular meeting of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee is attended by OSCE Ambassador Mario Horvatić, Jasminka Dinić and Iva Baković as members of the delegation. Croatia has observer status but should be admitted to a permanent membership at the session in June.

The meeting is also attended by A3 member Mirta Medanić as part of the SGAC (Space Generation Advisory Council) delegation.

The list of participants can be found at:
http://unoosa.org/res/oosadoc/data/documents/2020/aac_105c_12020crp/aac_105c_12020crp_2_0_html/AC105_C1_2020_CRP02EFS.pdf

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Brijuni Conference

We invite you all to the Brijuni Conference 2020 that will be held on April 22-24 2020 in the Brijuni National Park, Croatia. The Conference topic is “Deep Space Communication, Navigation and Propulsion” and for more details please visit our web page http://www.brijuni-conference.irb.hr/.

The focus is on scientific and technical aspects of deep space communication, navigation and propulsion, with the emphases on novel ideas. The conference is also a meeting place of science and technology and programmatic aspects might also be discussed. Ample afternoon time is meant for making contacts, discussing projects or arranging business. Poster sessions are organized reviewing R&D results or displaying products. The conference is targeting scientists and engineers in Space, companies that are developing cutting edge technology and importantly students and young scientists.

Slobodan Danko Bosanac
president
Adriatic Aerospace Association